Method and apparatus for pretreatment of tissue slides

• US 20050064535A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dakocytomation California Incorporated
• Inventors: Welcher, Rosanne, Lathrop, Robert, Key, Marc, Favuzzi, John, Rau, Jeff, Guggenheimer, Benno
• Granted Patent: US 7,648,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/40.500
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00306 Housings, cabinets, control panels (details)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00376 Conductive heating, e.g. heated plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00435 Refrigerated reagent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/009 alarms, e.g. audible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00712 Automatic status testing, e.g. at start-up or periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 : Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 : with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 : with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 : with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for automatic staining of at least one tissue sample accommodated on a slide by applying reagents. The system may include at least one slide provided in a slide rack, a fluid containment element, a slide holder, a vertical slide positioner to pivot the slides to a vertical position, and a slide immerser element to immerse the vertical slide into a fluid containment element or even a dip tank. By pivoting the slides from a horizontal to a vertical position, an automated method and apparatus for carrying out a pretreatment in an automated staining apparatus may be provided. The pivoting of slides may ensure an appropriate orientation of the slides for both the pretreatment and the staining processes.

Claims

1. A method for treatment of at least one tissue sample in an automated staining apparatus comprising the steps of:

providing at least one slide having a tissue sample;

pivoting said at least one slide having said tissue sample to a substantially vertical position;

immersing said substantially vertically oriented slide into a fluid containment element; and

processing said tissue sample on said substantially vertically oriented slide.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of immersing said substantially vertically oriented slide into said fluid containment element comprises the step of immersing said substantially vertically oriented slide into a dip tank.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of providing said at least one slide having said tissue sample comprises the step of providing said at least one slide having said tissue sample in a slide rack.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of providing said at least one slide having said tissue sample comprises the step of providing a plurality of slides in a slide rack.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of slides are individually pivotable.

6. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of supplying a processing liquid from at least one supply tank in said fluid containment element.

7. A method according to claim 2 and further comprising the step of supplying a processing liquid from at least one supply tank in said dip tank.

8. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of filling and draining said fluid containment element of fluid.

9. A method according to claim 8 and further comprising the step of transferring liquid from a supply tank to a transfer tank to said fluid containment element.

10. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of subjecting said immersed slide to a series of fluids which are sequentially filled and drained from said fluid containment element.

13. A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of immersing said substantially vertically oriented slide into said fluid containment element comprises the step of lowering said slide rack holder into said fluid containment element.

16. A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of processing said tissue sample on said substantially vertically oriented slide comprises the step of pretreating said tissue sample on said at least one slide.

19. A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of processing said tissue sample on said substantially vertically oriented slide comprises the step of processing said tissue sample with a deparaffinization treatment of said tissue sample.

22. A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of processing said tissue sample on said substantially vertically oriented slide comprises the step of target retrieval processing of said tissue sample.

11-12. -12. (Canceled)

14-15. -15. (Canceled)

17-18. -18. (Canceled)

20-21. -21. (Canceled)

23. (Canceled)

24. An automatic stainer apparatus comprising:

at least one tissue sample accommodated on a slide;

at least one reagent;

at least one slide rack configured to accommodate at least one slide;

a slide holder;

a fluid containment element;

a vertical slide positioner adapted to pivot said at least one slide in a vertical position; and

a slide immerser element adapted to immerse said at least one slide in said vertical position in fluid of said fluid containment element.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said fluid containment element comprises a dip tank.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said at least one reagent comprises reagents arranged in a sequence according to a staining protocol.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said slide immerser element comprises a slide immerser element adapted to lower said at least one slide in said vertical position in said fluid containment element.

30. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said fluid containment element comprises a heating member.

34. An apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising:

a pneumatic element adapted to transfer liquid from a supply tank to a transfer tank and from said transfer tank to said dip tank; and

a drain element adapted to remove liquid from said dip tank to said transfer tank and from said transfer tank to a waste collection tank.

36. An apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising a liquid recycle element adapted to provide recycled liquid.

38. An apparatus according to claim 24 and further comprising a drawer assembly adapted to retract from said apparatus, wherein said drawer assembly comprises at least one slide rack.

40. An apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising a drawer assembly adapted to retract from said apparatus, wherein said drawer assembly comprises at least one slide rack.

42. An apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said drawer assembly is adapted to cooperate with said fluid containment element.

43. An apparatus according to claim 42 wherein said drawer assembly comprises a plurality of said drawer assemblies, each adapted to cooperate with said dip tank, at least one transfer tank, a supply tank and at least one waste tank.

44. An apparatus according to claim 43 and further comprising a fluid transfer element configured to transfer fluid between said dip tank and said supply tank with said at least one transfer tank wherein said transfer tank comprises a pneumatic pressure control adapted to apply positive respective negative air pressure to said transfer tank.

45. An apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said a vertical slide positioner comprises a vertical slide positioner adapted to individually pivot said at least one slide in a vertical position.

46. An apparatus according to claim 43 wherein said a vertical slide positioner comprises a vertical slide positioner adapted to individually pivot said at least one slide in a vertical position.

48. An apparatus according to claim 45 and further comprising a robotic element adapted to pivot said at least one slide in said at least one slide rack.

28-29. -29. (Canceled)

31-33. -33. (Canceled)

35. (Canceled)

37. (Canceled)

39. (Canceled)

41. (Canceled)

47. (Canceled)